[Captainobvious]

Hitting the Heavy Bag

The heavy bag provides one of the best cardiovascular fitness and endurance training workouts available to a boxer. It helps to build your strength and stamina, and really helps you to develop your punches properly.

Heavy bags come in vinyl, synthetic leather, leather, and canvas. There are soft filled, foam lined, and water filled varieties. A water filled provides the best protection for your hands, while a soft filled large heavy bag will feel most like an opponent. You should pick a bag that suits your skill, size and ability level.

When working the heavy bag focus on proper foot spacing and proper punching form. A good workout to start out with to really get your endurance and power up is this:

Start out by jabbing only for 1 1/2 minutes single jabbing, doubling it up, and multiple jabs, body and head. After a round of jabbing work on your straight right. Once again single, then multiple. Drop down and shoot some to the body as well. After a 1 1/2 minute round of that, do a round of left hooks. work the head and the body, focusing on form and getting as many punches in as you can. Remember, when throwing the left hook, your right foot has to come up a half step, to keep your balance, and help you get some power behind it. After a 1 1/2 minute round of that, then mix it up with your combinations of all of those punches above. Work hard for a minute and a half, then repeat 1 more round of combination punching, really trying to burn yourself out, but keep correct form at all times. Work on your footwork and movement around the bag, and always keep your proper spacing and balance. Hands up, elbows in and protected just like you would in the ring. Try to really burn yourself out in the last 30 seconds of each round. Throw quick combinations to the head and body and really get that "burn". This will really help to increase your stamina.
Once you build your endurance up, you can extend your round times to 2 mins, 2 1/2 mins, 3 mins, and so on.
Its also recommended that you keep a mouthpiece in while your hitting the bag, so that you really stay used to the difference in breathing with the mouthpiece. You should also make sure that your exhaling some air with your punches. This will help you to preserve energy.

Good Luck and Train Hard!

 

[rhodes]

free standing heavy bag

can you get a good workout with a free standing bag, i live in an apartment.

 

[Captainobvious]

You can certainly get a good workout with a free standing bag. One of the big benefits of a free-standing bag is that it can be moved around fairly easily, so its great for tighter living arrangements. They make some very nice quality ones now with water filled/sand filled/ or rock bag anchored bases. For the most part they are significantly lighter on the hands because they arent filled densely like a "real" heavybag. This translates to punches maybe not feeling as solid as they would on a normal bag, and some unstability with the base rocking, or wobbling. But thats one of the tradeoffs for not bolting something into the joice of your garage.
So to sum it up, yes you can get a very good workout with a free-stander, but you cant push it to your limits on the majority of them.
Boxing Equipment, Punching Bags, and Boxing Gloves by Ringside.
Title Boxing Equipment: Punching bags, boxing gloves, boxing gear & boxing supplies at discount prices.
Both of these companies carry high quality gear, and should have some great bags of all types.

 

[bill1234]

You can get a great work out doing that.

 

[dutch1291]

im kind of a newbie when it comes to boxing and punching bags, but i just purchased an everlast 70 lb bag. I'm 16, about 5'8 and around 135 lbs. I've found that whenever i continually hit it, it moves around quite a bit. I realize that i should have someone standing behind it, but is it possible to get a workout just by yourself, without a trainer/bag holder?? I apologize if this is a truely dumb question...

 

[Captainobvious]

Not a dumb question at all. First off, if the bag is "turning" when you are hitting it, you are not positioning yourself enough to the center of the bag. When you punch and the bag turns, your hitting more to the side than the center.
Sometimes if your punching the bag and it is swaying back and forth, you may be "pushing" the bag with your punches a bit too much. Adjusting your range from the bag back just a bit can reduce some of that. Remember, when your hitting the bag you want fast, snapping punches and you want to bring your arms back to a defensive position immediately, dont leave your extended punching arm out there too long.
If all else fails, then you can put an eye-hook in the floor, and use a bungee from the eye hole to the loop on the bottom of the bag, if one is provided. This will help to keep the bag from swaying too much.

 

[bill1234]

Not a dumb question at all. First off, if the bag is "turning" when you are hitting it, you are not positioning yourself enough to the center of the bag. When you punch and the bag turns, your hitting more to the side than the center.
Sometimes if your punching the bag and it is swaying back and forth, you may be "pushing" the bag with your punches a bit too much. Adjusting your range from the bag back just a bit can reduce some of that. Remember, when your hitting the bag you want fast, snapping punches and you want to bring your arms back to a defensive position immediately, dont leave your extended punching arm out there too long.
If all else fails, then you can put an eye-hook in the floor, and use a bungee from the eye hole to the loop on the bottom of the bag, if one is provided. This will help to keep the bag from swaying too much.

You are exactly right.

 

[dutch1291]

thanks!!!

thanks a ton captainobvious, that helps a lot!

 

[JAYBOZ]

I recently bought a 100lb heavy bag and had been doing some moderate workouts. Before beginning I looked up some tips and workouts to use with the bag since the only exposure I'd had was just about 4 months of training last year. I'm aware then that the intent with the bag is not to beat the crap out of it as hard as you can or you can injur your hands etc.

With this in mind I went to work with 14oz gloves. After about a week and a half of using it pretty much every 2 days, my hands were a sore, and I was getting a decent amount of pain in the fronts of my shoulders. I'm aware that I may have some rotator cuff issues from other activities, but I really didn't expect all this from the workouts I was doing.

After taking a couple of weeks off, my hands are fine, and my shouders are decent. My question would be, can you give me some guidelines that'll help from re-injuring? One thing I was thinking is that hooks I was throwing may have caused possible existing injuries in my shoulders to become inflamed. I think my form is ok, but maybe this is part of it?

I'd appreciate any help so I can get back to it.

 

[Captainobvious]

thanks a ton captainobvious, that helps a lot!

Sure thing, my friend! :thumbsup:

 

[Captainobvious]

I recently bought a 100lb heavy bag and had been doing some moderate workouts. Before beginning I looked up some tips and workouts to use with the bag since the only exposure I'd had was just about 4 months of training last year. I'm aware then that the intent with the bag is not to beat the crap out of it as hard as you can or you can injur your hands etc.

With this in mind I went to work with 14oz gloves. After about a week and a half of using it pretty much every 2 days, my hands were a sore, and I was getting a decent amount of pain in the fronts of my shoulders. I'm aware that I may have some rotator cuff issues from other activities, but I really didn't expect all this from the workouts I was doing.

After taking a couple of weeks off, my hands are fine, and my shouders are decent. My question would be, can you give me some guidelines that'll help from re-injuring? One thing I was thinking is that hooks I was throwing may have caused possible existing injuries in my shoulders to become inflamed. I think my form is ok, but maybe this is part of it?

I'd appreciate any help so I can get back to it.

Would you mind posting the workout regimen you were doing? How much time/rounds in each session, etc.
Also, are you using handwraps under your gloves?
One thing I know can increase shoulder pain is if you dont warm up properly. Ive started on the heavybag before and went to town, and half way through felt like i tore something in the back of my shoulder from throwing the left hook so hard. Part of the problem was that I didnt warm up on the speed bag/jumprope first.
Are you warming up with some exercises or speedbag before your heavybag workout? I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you dont have to try to beat the hell out of the bag so much as you want to really push yourself cardiovascularly, and use correct punching technique.
Also, do you get shoulder pain from any activities outside of working the heavybag?

 

[JAYBOZ]

My heavy bag workout has been the following:

I really work a 100lb heavy bag with 14oz gloves. I do a general, moderate workout since I'm trying to get back into it. This means, I start with a jab for about 90sec, and then jab into a straight for about 2 rounds of 90sec, then ad some combos for 2-3 more rounds of about 90sec. At the end I always try to unload and wear myself out. I think it's a decent workout. I also switch back and forth between southpaw so that I have a feel for both since I may end up switching.

I have not been wrapping my hands. I did at first, but read somewhere online to try with and without and see which is more comfortable. This may be ridiculous advice for all I know, but I wanted to give it a shot. My hands did hurt after a couple of workouts, but I think that's because the adrenaline was flowing, and I tried to murder the bag. I since have had better dicipline in that area.

I think you have a great point about warming up. I would bet that's part of my problem. Usually I just do some light stretching and windmills. I don't have any other aparatus in my basement aside from the heavy bag, so I don't have the opportunity to warm-up on a speed bag.

I do get some shoulder pain during some other activities. Usually bench pressing. (I understand that's a whole other subject, as far as whether or not to workout with weights, but since I'm very new to boxing, I haven't cut my weightlifting yet) Usually though, after a set or two, the shoulder pain subsides and is not a problem. Same with the heavy bag though, once I get into it it feels fine, but after it flares up.

 

[Captainobvious]

Your workout sounds very reasonable. I would HIGHLY recommend using handwraps under your gloves. They help to protect not just the knuckles, but more importantly the fragile bones in the top of the hand.
As far as the warming up goes, definitely try to do about 10 mins jump rope before your heavybag work. You would think that jumping rope would only work the legs, but in fact it also really gets a nice arm/shoulder warm up too, especially if the rope or handles are weighted. That really helps to get the blood circulating and will help in preventing some of that soreness in the shoulders.
Other than that, sounds good!

 

[bill1234]

My heavy bag workout has been the following:

I really work a 100lb heavy bag with 14oz gloves. I do a general, moderate workout since I'm trying to get back into it. This means, I start with a jab for about 90sec, and then jab into a straight for about 2 rounds of 90sec, then ad some combos for 2-3 more rounds of about 90sec. At the end I always try to unload and wear myself out. I think it's a decent workout. I also switch back and forth between southpaw so that I have a feel for both since I may end up switching.

I have not been wrapping my hands. I did at first, but read somewhere online to try with and without and see which is more comfortable. This may be ridiculous advice for all I know, but I wanted to give it a shot. My hands did hurt after a couple of workouts, but I think that's because the adrenaline was flowing, and I tried to murder the bag. I since have had better dicipline in that area.

I think you have a great point about warming up. I would bet that's part of my problem. Usually I just do some light stretching and windmills. I don't have any other aparatus in my basement aside from the heavy bag, so I don't have the opportunity to warm-up on a speed bag.

I do get some shoulder pain during some other activities. Usually bench pressing. (I understand that's a whole other subject, as far as whether or not to workout with weights, but since I'm very new to boxing, I haven't cut my weightlifting yet) Usually though, after a set or two, the shoulder pain subsides and is not a problem. Same with the heavy bag though, once I get into it it feels fine, but after it flares up.

Always wrap your hands! The one time I didn't, my one knuckle got completely ripped apart, I lost a lot of skin, and it was bleeding like crazy....I still have the scar.

 

[Captainobvious]

Always wrap your hands! The one time I didn't, my one knuckle got completely ripped apart, I lost a lot of skin, and it was bleeding like crazy....I still have the scar.

Jeez, didnt you feel that it was rubbing too much in there ?

 

[bill1234]

Jeez, didnt you feel that it was rubbing too much in there ?

Beleive it or not no, I felt a little pain after a little bit but not enough to make me stop and check it out, then when I started taking my gloves off it was stinging and hurting a lot, and when I saw my knuckle I knew why.

 

[JAYBOZ]

Thanks for the replys guys. I'll definitely start wrapping again, and focus more on a better warm-up. . .

 

[bill1234]

Thanks for the replys guys. I'll definitely start wrapping again, and focus more on a better warm-up. . .

No, problem and good.:thumbsup:

 

[Captainobvious]

Thanks for the replys guys. I'll definitely start wrapping again, and focus more on a better warm-up. . .

Sounds like a good plan. If you need advice on how to wrap your hands, check the guide I have posted in training and nutrition.

 

[Kodanshi]

One of the big benefits of a free-standing bag is that it can be moved around fairly easily, so its great for tighter living arrangements.

It also helps with footwork to as you can swing it in various directions, or round & round, and then step around it, practising your footwork in a variety of ways .​